NOTE: The design sizes as described here and in the Stitch Counts documentavailable below are correct. Determine which design size is right for you based onthis information. I used 130 x 180 mm, 150 x 240 mm, and 200 x 260 hoops for Small,Medium and Large designs respectively. You may have other hoops that will work, too.

Chess and checkers are perennial favorites for kids and adults alike. Why notfabric-ate a travel set so you can take your game with you when you travel? This blogwill show you how you can do just that by making a board, game pieces, and a carrier.The chess board folds up and can be tucked into the elasticized pockets at the ends ofthe carrier. The carrier also has zipper pockets for storing the game pieces. Here arepictures of a chess set I just made.

Do you prefer checkers? You can ignore the chess markings or turn the pieces upsidedown, or you can make a set of checkers pieces instead. For checkers, I use only thecrowns. Here is a checkers set I made in pink -- I thought it would be fun to use non-traditional colors for this set!

I'm sure you noticed that this set has outlines of the pieces rather than a motif fillpattern. I created the designs both ways, so you can choose whichever you prefer. You canpurchase motif filled pieces only, outline pieces only, or both. In all cases, you willreceive arrangements of chess pieces AND checkers pieces to fit your hoop. You will alsoreceive the instructions to make the pieces, the game board, and the carrier.

Designs are available in three sizes, to accommodate most hoop sizes: Small(120 x 170 mm), Medium (143 x 230 mm), and Large (170 x 230 mm). For the Small size,stitch the preferred chess or checkers design twice for each player; for the Mediumand Large design sizes, stitch the chess or checkers file once for each player. The filesinclude 18 pieces for the Medium size and 20 pieces for the Small and Large sizes. Allsets have a few spare pieces. Click the following links to see the available design sets.

I digitized the game pieces with cutwork lines for cutting them apart. After stitchingthe individual pieces and the outlines, I change to the cutwork needles to finish the designs.No more thread is used from then on, but the software includes the cutwork lines in itscount of stitches. The Chess and Checkers Stitch Counts document available here shows thetotal stitch count for each design, as well as the count of thread stitches and cutwork no-thread stitches.

The cutwork needles I use are made by Inspira, and are sold by Viking and Pfaff dealers.There may be needles available for your brand of machine, too, but the Inspira needles shouldwork if your machine will run without a top thread. If your machine does not display theneedles as thread colors, then just follow the instructions to use the needles in the properorder. The chisel points cut at different angles and it is important to use the right needlefor each part of the circles. The arrows in the next picture point to the secure points.

I programmed the cutwork lines to include small gaps that are not cut. These"secure points" prevent the pieces from falling out too soon (any holes in the stabilizerwould cause later cuts to be mislocated). It is a simple matter of trimming the piecesafter embroidering. You can cut the gaps and also trim away felt fuzz from the bottomsof the pieces. If you don't have the cutwork needles, you can just cut out the pieces byhand. It is not as quick but also works perfectly well. Just cut 1/8" from the stitchedoutlines.

I have been asked a few questions privately about the design set and thought I'd share the answers in case anyone else was wondering the same things.

The game pieces are about 1 1/2" in diameter. That is the same for all design sizes. The Small, Medium and Large sizes refer to the arrangements of pieces for embroidering. See the note at the top of the blog for the corresponding hoop sizes.

The instructions included with purchase cover the embroideries, the chess board and the carrier.